


Story Time with Ripper Roo

by Palus_Hiemalis



Category: Crash Bandicoot (Video Games)
Genre: Aku has a big ancient gay crush on Brio, Brio is a professional dumb and doesn't know it yet, Brio is slightly traumatised, Drabble, Drabbles, Fluff, Gen, Redemption, adorable old man teaches failed experiment how to read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26618413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Palus_Hiemalis/pseuds/Palus_Hiemalis
Summary: Inspired by a Pic by HabaneRoach on twitter...N.Brio is settling into life with Crash's little family in their beach shack, but struggles to keep calm and be helpful. He meet Ripper Roo whilst the others are out and decides to pick up from where they left off long ago in Brio's lab...
Relationships: Nitrus Brio/Aku Aku
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Story Time with Ripper Roo

The shack was quiet. And the shack was never quiet when they left N. Brio alone. There were always booms, or flashing lights, or smoke pouring out the chimney. Or a brand new chimney, in that particular instance. They tried to take him out to the Island market or fishing, but sometimes the old man just needed a lie-in and it was best just to leave him to sleep. Aku Aku was always anxious to leave him alone but Coco would leave a little note next to his hammock explaining where they had gone. He’d get up, realise he had the shack to himself and he’d try to make soup or feed Pura, then next thing you know ooze is leaking out the new chimney. But Coco insisted that they had to give him time alone, it was importantly to build his self confidence. And they should’ve seen this coming when they didn’t leave him instructions on how to work the stove.

They walked towards the Shack with a cooler full of fish, Crash was hauling the rods over his shoulder, slightly distracted by the swinging lures. Hearing the sweet silence, Aku turned to Coco and beamed. If he could have given her over enthusiastic thumbs up, he would have been doing just that. She chuckled, it was so sweet seeing her wooden Uncle have a crush on her partially-mutated Uncle. She pushed open the door and froze.

N. Brio was perched on the sofa holding a copy of ‘Pat The Bunny’ for Ripper Roo who was leaning forward and squinting. He then made a series of grunts and pants as an answer.  
“Th-thats it, g-good job, you’re doing s-s-s-so well…!”  
Brio tentatively reached out and patted his hand on top of Ripper Roo’s head. There was a slight tremor to his hands these days but he managed to flop Roo’s ears down affectionately.

“Hi… Uncle Brio…” She trailed, Crash peeked his head around the doorway and blinked in surprise. Aku gaped.  
“Hello, Coco. Hello, Crash. Hello, Mr. Aku Aku.” He said, his eyes didn’t leave the page.

“Hi Brio… Nice to see you having a good time. Could you, uh, let us know when you invite guests around in future, Brio? Just so we can prepare?” Aku said.  
He was too much of a sucker to kick Roo out. After all, he was the first to give Brio a chance in the first place. Not long after Crash and Coco adopted him; Crash used him as a good place to nap and Coco as someone to look over her research.  
“Oh, of course, I’m s-sorry. I just found him wandering by the river wh-when I went out to look for you. It's been a long time since I last saw him, I w-wanted to make sure he was okay.” He looked at Roo and smiled weakly, “After all, he’s kinda my responsibility…”

“Wait a second, didn’t Crash say that he found Roo in a library when they fought? He has a library and he can’t read?!” Coco asked, she wasn’t exactly suspecting a rouse, Roo wasn’t exactly the scheming type. He would’ve planted the room with Nitro boxes by now.  
“Ah, right. When I, uh, encouraged him to go after Crash that one time, I did find that he’d amassed quite a co-collection in that waterfall of his… I suppose he wanted to learn but d-didn’t know how. So he told me he just played pretend. But he’s catching on quite fast, aren’t you?” He sighed, idly smoothing Roo’s ear.  
“And why is he in a sweater?” Coco asked, watching from the front door. She dumped the Cooler on the porch and was watching intently, still a little apprehensive about walking into the shack.  
“Why is he in _Crash’s_ sweater?” Aku Aku floated forward, “I knitted it especially…”

Roo was wearing a knitted sweater with the sleeves knotted together at the front. It obscured the palm fronds and wumpa fruit details Aku Aku had knitted into the design. He sounded slightly disappointed when he pointed out the fact Roo was wearing it; he’d spent hours manipulating the needles and yarn to weave together as Brio sat and gazed at his progress.  
N.Brio looked up as he turned the page, “I’m s-s-sorry but he seemed c-calmer when wearing it… I used to put him in a big baby blanket until Co-cortex insisted on a s-straight jacket.”  
“Uncle Aku, would you really want Crash wearing it anyway?” Coco pointed a thumb behind her at her brother who was currently digging into the sandy beach out front with his bare paws.  
He titled in the air as he thought, “I suppose I could always make him another one…”

Coco and Aku settled in, making herbal tea for them both. Aku readied some Fish curry on the stovetop. Crash shrugged and decided to explore outside for a while.  
Coco came forward with the old mugs and gave Roo a little wave, he popped out a paw from the collar and waved back, lolling his tongue out in appreciation. He lapped it out of the top of the cup without taking out his paws, it was messy but effective. She had to admit, he was kind of precious in that sweater. It was knitted to fit Crash’s muscly frame so it enveloped Roo all over.  
It was amazing to see Brio so… still. He was concentrating on helping Roo along with the book; but he wasn’t engrossed or captivated by Roo’s progress, he wasn’t taking notes in observation. He was patient, just letting him read at his own pace.

“You seem... Happy, Uncle Brio.”  
Brio perked up, “Oh. Oh yes, I s-suppose I am! I think I like having someone to look out for…Y’know, Roo was my first mutagenic experiment! It's why he’s a t-t-tad mixed up. And blue.”  
Roo quickly went back to squinting at the new page, he grabbed the book with his toes and leaned forward. He growled under his breath and rolled his eyes.  
“It-its okay, t-take your time, p-pal.” 

From outside Crash squeaked. He came dashing in past the two in the doorway and presented Roo with a dented pair of spectacles. Sure, they were a little cracked and skewed, they were also covered in sand, but they sat on his nose just fine.  
“Did you keep those all this time, Crash?” Coco said as he adjusted them on Roo’s snout.  
Roo blinked and frantically looked about, twisting his neck about the room but huffing out a thank you and reading the book further away from his face.  
“Huh. Good job, bro.” She gave him a pat on the back and watched as Brio no longer needed to guide him through the pages. They sat there until dinner, as Roo raced through a pile of old baby books and Brio watched, encouraging him every step of the way…

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the sketch that inspired the fic: https://twitter.com/habaneroach/status/1308710047070015490  
> If you want cute Crash content go follow Habaneroach.
> 
> So this is all very sweet and fluffy as best as I could write. I really liked Ripper Roo as a kid, I always got the impression he wasn't really as smart as he was pretending to be.
> 
> Note on the stutter -- I have a mild stutter myself, so I did my best to accurately portray it on the words I mess up on myself. I based Brio's voice on his PS1 voice actor, as I love the strange bright delivery.


End file.
